Six Moon Designs Starlite Backpack Review

The Six Moon Designs Starlite Backpack is a standout among packs in this review, with the highest comfortable load carrying capacity of any frameless backpack tested by Backpacking Light. The Six Moon Designs Starlite comes very close to the performance of an internal frame pack at a fraction of the weight. The Six Moon Designs Starlite is engineered so that a virtual frame is created by inserting a folded sleeping pad into an exterior zippered pocket that locks the pad to the harness. This creates a frame that is much stiffer than what is possible with a rolled-up ground pad inside the main pack bag. In our load testing of the Six Moon Design Starlite’s predecessor (the Moonlite), which used the same design to create a virtual frame, the Moonlite was the only pack capable of carrying 35 pounds without significant collapse of the virtual frame. And, in our field-testing, the Starlite outperformed its predecessor. This comprehensive review highlights the following features of the Six Moon Designs Starlite Backpack: specifications, features (frame and suspension analysis, usability features, and load volume flexibility), field performance (pack load carrying capacity, durability), value, and recommendations for improvement